The present invention relates to a particulate matter dispenser and, more particularly, to a dispenser of simple design and capable of being made from inexpensive parts in which only one finger is needed lightly to press a button to dispense material such that, when the button is pressed down, the rate of powder flow varies.
Various types of dispensing devices, both rotary and nonrotary, have long been known to provide a measured amount of particulate material. For instance, the corn planter shown in U.S. Pat. No. 186,859 utilized a rotatable dropping wheel on a shaft. The wheel had cup-shaped recesses to receive corn from a hopper for discharging into an inclined chute. Likewise, the seed planter of U.S. Pat. No. 323,413 used a rotatable wheel with several pockets to hold the exact number of seeds which it was desired to be planted in a single hill. Other rotatable dispensers using pockets or the like are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,243,058; 3,029,002 (not rotatable); 3,122,278, 3,735,899; 4,162,751; and 4,427,136. Each of these devices includes a rotary mechanism with one or more pockets for transferring material from a reservoir to a dispenser outlet.
Another type of dispenser was shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,900,109, in which a dispensing valve is operated automatically or manually in conjunction with a resilient conduit for allowing preheated slurry to flow into a hopper. U.S. Pat. No. 2,796,201 showed a powder dispensing apparatus which uses a hand lever which is pushed up by the palm of the hand which is to receive the dispensed material. Still another dispenser configuration is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,715,517. The fluid is dispensed by using the heel of the hand against the front face of a push bar assembly so as to move a roller along tracks and into dispensing contact with a flexible tube which is normally held closed by a guillotine member at the tip of the tube.
I have found, however, that no particulate matter dispensers heretofore available has been able to allow a person to use only one finger lightly to press a button to dispense material in a simple dispenser configuration which can be readily manufactured from, for example, injection molded plastic with relatively few parts which include a metal spring and a rubber tube.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a particulate matter dispenser in which only one finger is needed to press lightly on a button to dispense material.
Another object of the present invention is to permit the rate of powder flow to be varied by virtue of the distance that the button is pushed down, with maximum flow at about one teaspoon per second.
Still another object of the present invention is the ability to dispense any amount of powder up to the capacity of the the unit.
Yet another object of the present invention is isolation of the mechanical parts from the dispensed material through a simple design which can be readily manufactured so as to allow a material reservoir of injected molded plastic and rubber dispensing tube to be easily and quickly removed from the unit for cleaning.
A further object of the present invention is the agitation of the dispensed material with a touch and release of the button to shake the reservoir.
The foregoing objects have been achieved in accordance with the present invention by the provision of a particulate dispenser comprising a powder container on a stand with a rubber tube at a dispensing end of the tube. A sliding and fixed clamp selectively open and close the tube to allow a predetermined amount of particulate material to be dispensed by pushing a button which is connected to the sliding clamp through a push rod and pivot arm.
Due to the arrangement of the push button in relation to the container and the linkage, only one finger is needed lightly to press the button to dispense material. In addition, the distance that the button is pressed down, without any further adjustment of the unit, varies the amount of powder or particulate material flowing per unit of time up to the capacity of the reservoir. For a dispenser sized in accordance with a presently contemplated embodiment of the present invention the maximum amount will be about one teaspoon per second.
A reservoir is provided within an outer container so that it and the associated dispensing tube can be easily and quickly removed from the container for cleaning.
A further feature of the present invention is the linkage and clamp system which operates the dispensing tube. With each push and release of the dispensing button the reservoir is shaken by the movement of the rubber tube and the offset of the fixed clamp from the center to one side of the tube.
The unit can be made of injected molded plastic parts except for a metal spring or springs and the rubber dispensing tube. The particulate matter is thus agitated to facilitate its flow through the reservoir to the dispensing tube.